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NAMIBIA

Namibians are of diverse ethnic origins. The principal groups are the Ovambo, Kavango, Herero/Himba, Damara, mixed race ("Colored" and Rehoboth Baster), white (Afrikaner, German, and Portuguese), Nama, Caprivian (Lozi), Bushman, and Tswana.

The Ovambo make up about half of Namibia's people. The Ovambo, Kavango, and East Caprivian peoples, who occupy the relatively well- watered and wooded northern part of the country, are settled farmers and herders. Historically, they have shown little interest in the central and southern parts of Namibia, where conditions do not suit their traditional way of life.
POPULATION GRAPH
Population:
1,820,916
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.6% (male 392,706; female 382,690)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 490,151; female 488,052)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 29,345; female 37,972) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.19% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
34.17 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
22.28 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
72.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 38.97 years
female: 37.07 years (2002 est.)
male: 40.81 years
Total fertility rate:
4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
19.54% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
160,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
18,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian
Ethnic groups:
black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%
Religions:
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%
Languages:
English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38%
male: 45%
female: 31% (1960 est.)